Civic integration (inburgeren) means showing that you speak Dutch well enough and know enough about Dutch society to take part independently. You do this by taking exams with DUO. Exactly who has to integrate and at which level depends on your situation. In this blog I explain it step by step. Expect civic integration to require real preparation, but with the right approach you will know exactly where you stand.
Key takeaways from this blog
- Civic integration is mandatory for a specific group of newcomers, but the rules differ per group.
- Status holders and other people required to integrate, such as family and labour migrants, have different obligations and take their exams at a different level.
- The exams are administered by DUO, not by any other organisation.
- The 3-year integration period starts when you receive the letter from the IND stating that you have a residence permit and must integrate.
- The civic integration exam consists of several components, each testing different skills.
- Good preparation requires focused practice; you will not pass the exam automatically.
What civic integration involves
Civic integration is the official process in which you show that you speak Dutch and know how Dutch society works. This knowledge and language ability are tested through exams administered by DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Education Executive Agency).
The goal of civic integration is that you can take part in the Netherlands independently: working, communicating with organisations, taking children to school and understanding how the rules work here. Passing the exam is therefore not an end in itself, but proof that you have reached that independence.
That requires serious effort. The exams test real language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing and also knowledge of Dutch society. Anyone who thinks they can get through without preparation is taking a risk. But if you practise in a focused way, you know what is being asked and build up the knowledge you need step by step.
Who is required to integrate?
Not everyone who comes to the Netherlands has to integrate. The requirement depends on your residence status and background. There are two groups with clearly different rules. It is important to know which group you belong to.
Status holders
Status holders are people who have been granted an asylum residence permit in the Netherlands. For them, civic integration is mandatory and they follow a programme in which the municipality plays a central role. Together with the municipality, you draw up a personal integration plan. The municipality is your first point of contact.
Status holders must integrate at level B1. That is the level at which you can communicate independently in Dutch in everyday situations, both spoken and written. The 3-year integration period starts on the date you receive the letter from the IND stating that you have a residence permit and must integrate.
Other people required to integrate
The second group consists of family migrants, labour migrants and people who want to integrate voluntarily. There is no municipal programme for them. They arrange their civic integration themselves.
For this group, level A2 is still possible, depending on the situation. A2 is a lower language level than B1, but at A2 you also need to demonstrate real skills and practise in a focused way. The recent increase from A2 to B1 applies only to status holders, not to this group.
Which exams are part of civic integration?
The civic integration exam consists of several components. Which components you need to take and at which level depends on your situation. All exams are administered by DUO.
The language exams test the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each component has its own exam format. The reading exam of the State Exam NT2 Programme I takes 110 minutes and consists of multiple-choice questions. It tests reading comprehension, not writing skills or sentence formulation.
In addition to the language exams, some candidates have extra obligations. Depending on your situation, you need to complete a participation statement programme (participatieverklaringstraject) and show that you know enough about the Dutch labour market. Whether this applies to you depends on your specific situation.
An important point: the civic integration exams at B1 are the same as the State Exams NT2 at B1. It is not a separate or easier version. Same exam, same level.
What is the difference between A2 and B1?
The level at which you take the exam makes a concrete difference to what is expected of you.
A2 is about basic communication in familiar situations. The bar is lower than at B1 and at A2 incorrect use of de and het (the two Dutch words for “the”) is overlooked. At B1 that is no longer the case. At B1 you are expected to express yourself in a wider range of situations and to understand texts you come across in daily life.
As a status holder, you work towards B1. As another person required to integrate, A2 may still be an option, depending on your specific situation. On the A2 practice page of Inburgering Online you will find material that matches that level. For B1, go to the B1 page of Inburgering Online.
How do you prepare for the civic integration exam?
Preparation starts with knowing what is being asked. The format and structure of the exams are fixed, but the content of the questions differs each time. So you cannot prepare by memorising questions. What does help is working on real language skills.
Regular Dutch TV, radio and podcasts are valuable for this. Not because they are exactly like the exam, but precisely because they are harder. Once you are used to authentic Dutch, the exam level feels more familiar. The only advice I want to give you: do not get frustrated if you do not understand everything. You do not have to. The point is to expose yourself to real Dutch.
For the language exams themselves, you need to know the most common words. For A2 this is about 2,000 words, for B1 about 4,000. That sounds like a lot, but knowing the most common words already gets you a long way. You rarely come across the less common words in the exam.
Want to register for an exam? You can do so via DUO’s registration page.
Frequently asked questions about civic integration
What exactly does civic integration mean?
Civic integration means that you show, through official exams with DUO, that you speak Dutch and know how Dutch society works. The goal is that you can take part in the Netherlands independently.
Who is required to integrate?
That depends on your residence status. Status holders with an asylum residence permit must integrate through a programme in which the municipality is involved. Family and labour migrants also have to integrate, but arrange this themselves without a municipal programme. Citizens of EU countries and people with Dutch nationality are exempt.
How long do you have to integrate?
The integration period is 3 years. It starts on the date you receive the letter from the IND stating that you have a residence permit and must integrate. So the start date is not the date you arrive in the Netherlands.
At which level do you need to integrate?
Status holders must integrate at level B1. Other people required to integrate, such as family and labour migrants, can still integrate at level A2 in some situations. Which level applies to you depends on your residence status and personal situation.
Who administers the civic integration exams?
The exams are administered by DUO, the Education Executive Agency. The IND does not administer exams.
What is the difference between the civic integration exam and the State Exam NT2?
At B1 level there is no difference. The civic integration exams at B1 are the same as the State Exams NT2 at B1. It is not a separate or easier version of the same exam.
How do I know after the exam what I got right or wrong?
The DUO result shows whether you passed, but gives no insight into where you made mistakes or which topics you still need to practise. So make sure you have practised enough in a focused way before the exam.
Start practising today
Do you now know which group you belong to and at which level you need to take the exam? Then the next step is focused practice. At Inburgering Online you will find video explanations that are easy to follow and direct explanations of the core structures of Dutch. The practice material matches what DUO asks.
Practising at A2 level? Then go to the A2 page of Inburgering Online. Preparing for B1? Then you are in the right place via the B1 page of Inburgering Online. You can start from just 13.95 euros per month.
